1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a contact for an electrical connector, and particularly to a contact for a Central Processing Unit (CPU) socket connector.
2. Description of Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 6,267,615 discloses a conventional contact for a CPU socket connector. As is shown in FIG. 4A, the contact 5 comprises a base 50 and a pair of arm sections 60 connected to the base 50. The base 50 includes a body section 51, a head section 52 extending upwardly from the body section 51, and a soldering section 53 extending perpendicularly from a bottom edge of the body section 51. A pair of upper projections 521 and a pair of lower projections 511 are respectively formed on opposite lateral edges of a top portion of the head portion 52 and a bottom portion of the body section 51. The upper and lower projections 521, 511 interferentially secure the contact 5 in the CPU socket connector.
Each arm section 60 includes an upper arm 61 extending forwardly from opposite sides of the body section 51 to the soldering portion 53, an elbow 62 at a bottom portion of the upper arm 61, a forearm 63 extending upwardly from the elbow 62, a substantially planar clamp 64 at a top portion of the forearm 63, and a palm 65 extending from a distal end of the clamp 64 toward the body section 51. The two palms 65 and the body section 51 together define a free space 7 therebetween. The two clamps 64 define a clamping space 641 therebetween for clamping a pin 8 (see FIG. 4B) of the CPU socket connector.
Referring to FIG. 4B, the pin 8 is vertically inserted into the free space 7 and moved in direction A to the clamping space 641. The direction A is perpendicular to the interferential direction of the upper and lower projections 521, 511 with the CPU socket connector, whereby the contact 5 can not be retained in the CPU socket connector securely and may move with the pin 8.
Referring to FIG. 5, the arm section 60 of the contact 5 is formed by a metal strip 60xe2x80x2 at each side of a base strip 50xe2x80x2 of a carrier strip. The pitch between two contacts 5xe2x80x2 on the carrier strip is large, normally three times that of adjacent contact holes defined in the CPU socket connector. This adversely affects the efficiency of punching and assembling because one row of contact holes of the CPU socket connector must be filled up with contacts three times.
Furthermore, the contact portion (the clamp 64xe2x80x2) should be gilded for improving the conductive characteristic. Because the carrier 90 and the clamp 64xe2x80x2 are arranged on the same side, both of them will be immersed in electrolyte solution and the waste of aurum is great.
An object of the present invention is to provide a contact securely retained in a contact hole of a CPU socket connector.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a contact which can be efficiently inserted into the contact hole of the CPU socket connector.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a contact during gilding of which the wastage of aurum is reduced.
To fulfill the above mentioned objects, a contact for a socket connector in accordance with the present invention comprises a base and a pair of arm sections. The base has a body section adapted for being secured in the socket connector. The body section has an engaging portion extending therefrom. The pair of arm sections extends from opposite lateral sides of the base in a direction opposite to the engaging portion. The arm sections have a pair of respective planar clamps at upper ends thereof and a pair of respective palms extending from the planar clamps toward the engaging portion and away from each other.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.